There is probably no bigger danger to a child with allergies than school. At school, there will be so many kids that can unintentionally give unsafe food or teachers that don’t know how to help when you have an allergic reaction. These are the two main ways to stay safe at school.
First, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist. They will give you a prescription for the medicine you need. Make sure to schedule a meeting with the school nurse or whoever is in charge of the student body’s health or wellbeing. Talk to them about what kind of medicine they need to be aware of. Make sure that the staff knows how to administer epinephrine or any other type of medicine in case of an emergency.
You, as the parent, should make sure that the nurse or staff know where the medicine is located in case of an emergency. The school cafeteria is a pretty dangerous place for a kid with food allergies. The school can only do so much to prevent allergic reactions. Therefore, it is paramount that you etch into your child’s head not to accept food from others. In the cafeteria, there are also so many children.
One of the most popular lunches in the US is PB+J sandwiches. Unfortunately, 1 in every 50 children has peanut allergies. Sometimes, children can be so young, and they don’t know that they can’t eat it. Maybe a friend offers a peanut butter cracker, and your child would eat it. That would have disastrous consequences. Sharing food is what causes so much of the allergic reactions in schools. There could possibly be food residue leftover from the day before. There could be peanut butter on the bench or on the table. If your child touches any of their “no-go” foods, they could have a reaction. Ask the school to wipe down all the tables with a disinfecting wipe instead of a sponge. A sponge would spread allergens. The lunch attendants have to be really careful when cleaning up.
There are many precautions that you should take for securing your child’s wellbeing at school. But the most important things to do are to make sure that the school staff is aware of where the medicine is located and to make sure that your child doesn’t accept food from others.